Tong



Jan. 31, 1933,

J. B. CHARPEOT, JR

TONG- ZSheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 17, 1930 1933s .a. B. CHARPIOT, JR 1,895,445

TONG

Filed Nov. 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Ci Patented Jan. 31, 1933 PATENT FFICE JOHN B. CHARPIOT, JE., OF HOUSTON, TEXAS TONG Application filed November 17, 1930. Serial No. 496,239.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a tong.

One object of the invention is to provide a tong specially adapted for use in well drilling operations for the purpose of making up or screwing together the sections of a string of pipe as the same is being lowered into a well bore. The tong is of that type commonly known as a rotary trip tong, and is of such construction that it will trip when the joint connecting the sections is fully screwed up so that too much pressure will not be applied to make up the joint too tight and breakage of parts will also thus be avoided.

In application the tong, when applied to the section to be made up, will be revolved by means of back up post on the rotary table and when the joint is fully screwed home, should the table not be immediately stopped, the tong j aw will yield so as to permit the tong to continue to revolve without turning the pipe section until the rotary is stopped and in this manner the driving parts will not be broken and the joint connecting the pipe sections will not be screwed up too tight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tong of the character described that may be readily converted into a tong suitable for making up joints of casing or for breaking out sections of the string as the same is being withdrawn from the bore and when so adapted the jaw will engage the casing or pipe and will not yield to pressure so that the tong will not trip when used for these latter purposes mentioned.

W'ith the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts. an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows an edge view of the tong. Figure 2 shows a plan view partly in section.

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a modified type of j aw that may be employed.

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary plan view of the tong equipped with still another type of jaw.

Figure 6 shows a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 shows a plan view of a rotary drilling machine showing the tong associated therewith and Figure 8 shows a side elevation thereof partly in section. Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates the tong handle, as a whole, which is composed of the sections 2, 3 suitably bolted together. At one end the handle is of arcuate formation forming the arms 4, 5. To the free end of the arm 5 there is pivoted the jointed pipe clamp composed of the sections 6, 6. The free end of the section 6 has a projecting tenon 7 adapted to seat in the mortise 8 of the free end of the arm 4 to maintain these abutting parts in proper alignment. The free end of the arm 4 has spaced lugs 9, 9 and there is a lever 10 one end of which is bifurcated forming the arms 11, 11 which are pivoted to said lugs 9. The free end of the section 6' has the pairs of spaced catches 12 12, and 13, 13. There is a link 14, one end of which is pivoted to the lever 10 between the arms 11, and whose other end has the lateral extensions 15 adapted to engage either pair of catches 12, 13.

In applying the tong the clamp sections 6, 6 are fitted around the pipe and the extensions 15 engaged behind the selected pair of catches and the lever 10 is then forced inwardly to swing the link 14 inwardly past the center on which the arms 11 pivot. The pipe clamp has suitable inside teeth as 16 to engage the pipe.

The handle 1 has an axial bearing 17 polygonal in cross sectional. contour and working in this bearing there is a bar 18 whose inner end is reduced and extended forming the rod 19. This bar works against suitable roller bearings 20 disposed around the hearing 17. The inner end of the rod 19 works through a suitable bearing 21 in the yoke 22. This yoke works in the cavity 23 pro vided in the handle and interposed between said yoke and the shoulder 24, formed by reducing said bar, and surrounding said rod, there is a coil spring 25. Within and extend ing outwardly beyond the outer end of the handle there are the tension rods 26, 26 which are threaded through the corresponding nuts 27, 27 seated in suitable cavities 28, 28 provided in the handle to receive them and the inner ends of these tension rods bear against the yoke 22 on opposite sides of the rod 19. The extended ends of the rods 26 are formed to receive a wrench by means of which the rods may be turned to vary the tension on the spring 25.

The outer end of the bar 18 has a bearing 29 in which is located the pin 30. The ends of this pin are extended each way beyond said bar and are formed polygonal and on these extended ends are mounted the aws 31, 31. The pin 30 is rotatable so as to permit said jaws to also rotate. These jaws are of the general form of star wheels having the radiating prongs 32, each prong having an outwardly curved, toothed, engaging face 33 to engage the pipe sect-ion 34 to be turned. An alternative type of jaw 35 substantially triangular in form, as shown in Figure 4, may be used in substitution for the type of jaw shown in Figure 2.

In use the tong is applied to the pipe as shown in Figure 2, and as also shown in Figure 8. In application, a back up post 36 of any conventional type may be used. The type of back up post shown has an eccentric depending pin 37 which is inserted in a bearing 38 in the table 39 of the rotary drilling machine, said back up post upstanding from said table. The upper end 40 of the back up post is reduced forming an annular shoulder 41 and this reduced end 40 works through one of the bearings 42 in the outer end of the tong handle, said handle resting on the shoulder 41. The rotary table 39 is driven by the pinion 43 in the usual way and as the table 39 revolves the tong will be swung around with table and turning the upper section 34 of the pipe and screwing the same into the coupling 44 carried by the upper end of the pipe section 45 beneath. This section 45 is held against turning by the conventional slips 46 inserted into the bushing 47 of the rotary table. lVhen the section 34 is screwed home, the tong will encounter additional resistance and the spring 25 will yield permitting the jaws 31 or 35 as the case may be to turn with the pin 30. The tong may thus be permitted to continue to revolve after the section 34 has been fully screwed home without danger of breaking the parts of the tong and without causing the oint connecting the pipe sections 34, and 45 to be screwed up too tight.

The tong can be adjusted relative to the pipe by reason of the fact that a number of bearings 42 are provided at spaced distances from the pipe to receive the extension 40 and additional nicer adjustments may be made by turning the back up posts 36 on its eccentric pin 37 to adjust said back up post relative to the pipe.

In case the tong is to be used for unscrewing sections of pipe and for other work where it is not necessary for the tong to trip, the jaws 48 may be substituted for the type designated by the numerals 31 and 35. The operative ends of the aws 48 are arcuate and provided with teeth 49 to engage the pipe to be turned and their ends remote from the pipe are shaped to fit in between the arms 4, 5 and when this type of jaw is used and the tong applied to the pipe the jaws will not yield under the pressure of the work, but will at all times maintain the engagement of the tong with the pipe to be made up or broken up.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A tong including a handle, pipe gripping means at one end of the handle, said gripping means comprising a clamp arranged to be releasably engaged about the pipe, a jaw anchor slidably mounted in the handle, a retatable jaw on said anchor having toothed prongs arranged to cooperate with said clamp to grip the pipe, yieldable means acting against said anchor to hold the jaw yieldingly against the pipe.

2. A tong including a handle gripping means at one end of the handle to engage about an object to be turned, said gripping means comprising a clamp shaped to be engaged about the object, a jaw anchor sh'dable in the handle, a jaw on said anchor arranged to cooperate with said clamp to grip said object, a yieldable member arranged to act through said anchor to hold the jaw against said object, and an adjusting tension rod mounted in the handle whereby the tension of said yieldable member may be varied.

3. A tong including a handle, pipe gripping means at one end of the handle, means for releasably securing said gripping means about the pipe, a movable yoke in the handle, ajaw anchor slidable relative to the handle and yoke, a jaw carried by said anchor and adapted to grip the pipe, a yieldable member between the anchor and yoke effective to hold the jaw yieldingly against the pipe, and means acting against the yoke and effective to vary the influence of said yieldable member on said jaw.

4. A tong including a handle having an axial bearing and whose operative end is arcuate forming spaced arms, a jointed pipe clamp pivoted to the free end of one arm, means for releasably securing the free end of said jointed clamp to the other arm, a jaw anchor slidable in said bearing, a jaw between said arms attached to said anchor and operative against a pipe surrounded by said clamp, a yoke adj ustably mounted in said handle, adjusting rods in the handle for adjusting said yoke, said yoke having a bearing and said anchor having its inner end reduced forming a rod which works through said yoke bearing and a coil spring surrounding said rod and interposed between said jaw anchor and yoke.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN B. CHARPIOT, J R. 

